Method Acting
by Justice Tokidoki
Summary: All Sora wanted was the freedom to take control, and all Roxas needed was the freedom to completely lose it.
1. Chapter 1

_Summary_

_All Sora wanted was the freedom to take control, and all Roxas needed was the freedom to completely lose it._

**Chapter 1: In which they are assigned the worst of roles.**

There was a method to pissing Roxas off. All you needed to do was position yourself a mere three feet in front of him. Preferably, this would be while the blonde was sitting in his desk so that you could have the high ground. But at any rate, any distance was fine as long as you made eye contact.

Just exist as you are and the boy's glare would be so intense that you might as well have shoved your whole foot into a boiling lava pit. And many, the embarrassed target mused, would have gladly taken the plunge over this. But it didn't help that the whole class was staring on top of it all.

Frankly, Sora didn't know what he had done to set his costar off, but the above rules were special and applied to him alone. He would have laughed if he wasn't currently being murdered by a set of unfeeling blue eye shards. And yet, he tried to smile through the pain anyway. "Uhhh, remind me what the line was again?"

Roxas' glare transformed into something special. He turned away. "I'm done. He's hopeless. I'm acting next to a tree stump. Anyone else willing to read this doofus' lines?! Anybody? I'll pay you."

"Oh, come on! Everything else was perfect, wasn't it?" Sora glanced at his friends, hell, his teacher, for backup, but his heart curled inward painfully as the giggles and pitiful stares confirmed that he was on his own.

The teacher, for his part, looked concerned, but it was more of a, I'm surrounded by morons, lament. As he brought his pen up to mark a clipboard Sora had a sinking suspicion that he was going to get an F for participation that day.

"Mind telling me why you don't have your lines memorized, Sora?" Zexion, aforementioned teacher, drawled with a bored tone.

Well, it was time to make shit up. Sora glanced at his notes, then briefly at Roxas' smug expression before clearing his throat. "I had them memorized, sir. It's just… I've been really distracted lately-"

"So you come to class unprepared, waste all of our time, and expect us to care?" Zexion raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you should share your concerns with the class if it's affecting your performance this badly."

Sora could feel the flush in his cheeks before the heat came. More snickers erupted and for the upteenth time the teen pondered why he chose to continue with theater this semester. Don't get him wrong, he loved acting, but this was the second week for crying out loud!

Still, it wasn't the lines. The character he was playing was "uncomfortable" for him, sure, but deep down he knew what was holding him back.

But he couldn't very well say it when Roxas was standing right there. He had to come up with a different excuse for now. "I'm having a hard time getting into character. It's very different than what I'm used to and I'm not sure if I can handle having this part."

Sora all but mumbled this but his voice felt so loud in the silence that followed. Zexion sighed, setting his clipboard down. "Both of you, back to your seats. It seems I have to go through the trouble of explaining this production yet again."

Everyone groaned and Sora winced. Their teacher was both strict and long winded when it came to his lectures, especially when he felt slighted. Sora couldn't even be upset as Roxas shoved his shoulder into him on their way back to their seats. It wasn't hard enough to knock him down or draw much attention, but the heat was unmistakable.

Still, Sora knew if he had said what really bothered him he'd be dealing with more than a shove. So he sat down stiffly and waited to be chewed out.

But of course, everyone had to endure a few minutes of uncomfortable silence and nervous coughing before Zexion actually started speaking. "Now, I don't expect all of you to agree with the parts I assign. I don't even expect you to like any of it. But you all have important roles to play, and as for our actors…"

He made a point of stepping out from behind his desk, marking the board before continuing, "the success rate of any Well to do actor is a mere 7%. There will be countless rejections and countless times when you are faced with taking up a job you have no desire in whatsoever. But a great actor is able to compromise and play anything within reason."

Sora couldn't help but flinch as Zexion focused his gaze on him. But he was surprised by the genuine tone to his voice. It wasn't kind per say, just direct, and it cut right into his heart when he asked, "So tell us, Sora? Are there any boundaries being crossed for you personally?"

"I… no, sir. I… I'm not entirely sure why I'm struggling so much." It was a lame finish but Sora was having a hard time coming up with excuses.

Zexion sighed, turning away, writing more on the board, the press of his marker very loud and ever present as the class became eerily quiet. "You have a lot of potential, Sora. Generally, you play background roles but I know you have what it takes for this part. Ultimately, it's up to you whether you want to take this job opportunity seriously or not. Next week will be the end of the warm-up stage of this production. All character swaps and changes can be arranged then."

"But I hope you take this moment to challenge yourself and work around this goal. During the production there will be many producers and directors visiting the campus. I've tried my best to create opportunities for those of you serious about this to have a moment to shine. But, if you feel differently Sora, that's fine. Just know that if you continue to let opportunities like this slide, you will never make it far as an actor."

He set his marker to the side, allowing the class to see the elaborate timeline they could look forward to completing over the next few weeks. He gave Sora a no-nonsense smile, but the skin around his eyes tightened. "I do hope you have a few backup plans in place, Sora. Perhaps this should only be a hobby. Nevertheless, if you insult my class again with half baked excuses and little to no effort you will be written up. Understood?"

Sora nodded so fast he could have sworn his jaw had broken with how hard he hit his desk. The snickers bore down into his back and he inwardly shot himself. Being heavy-handed was a curse. "Yeah, it won't happen again." The bell couldn't ring fast enough.

_At least he hasn't kicked me out._

This thought did little to cheer him up, as he could feel the disappointment sifting in the air. Especially from directly behind him followed by the heat of a thousand exploding suns.

_On second thought, maybe he is. He had to move my seat this close to Mr. Temper Tantrum._

The rest of the class went smoothly enough with Zexion turning things over to costume design and the tech crew. As Sora listened and watched as various sewing geniuses presented on different designs he thought again of how outclassed he was.

He loved performing, loved the arts, but this semester was making him question it all. He was at Twilight Academy after all, an expensive private school that required multiple recommendations, auditions, and most of all, luck to enter.

But it would be a lie to say he hadn't found himself doubting his position over the year.

_You can do this. First year was great, wasn't it? You'll be fine._

He tried to repeat this to himself as he headed towards his locker but even his inner voice sagged in sync with his sliding steps as he started messing with the padlock. Each semester it had to be changed and Sora was still grappling with the combination. Another embarrassment for a long day.

_Stop overreacting? This character should be easy to play! Come on!_

Sora punched the locker, groaning. Right, too easy. It was the easiest role, the one most like him of all the parts he'd been assigned.

But Sora didn't love acting for roles like these. He acted to be completely different from himself! Sure, every character had something similar, but this role was hitting too close to home. Not to mention his co star was…

No, not here. He couldn't vent like this here. Not ever. Slowly, he closed his eyes, meditating silently and counted to ten. He waited for his heart to settle until all signs of a struggle and frustration could be drained from his muscles.

In the brief moment of contentment he found his combination. He gently worked with the padlock, sliding the mechanism into the correct digits before giving a rough tug.

It opened swiftly and he quickly shoved in his textbooks, unpacking in record time before slamming his locker closed. He sighed in content, truly calm for the first time of that entire day. Then he turned.

~~~~Method~~~~~

Roxas blinked, watching in amusement as his co star jumped a foot in the air. "Oblivious as usual, though that's no surprise. You should pay attention. You'd take less beatings that way."

The brunet's face soured in a way that Roxas, admittedly, enjoyed a little too much. Making people nervous was half the reason he could tolerate school. But some people just made it too easy. "Still having trouble with the locks?"

Mortified, Sora turned around and stiffly jutted towards the exit. The boy was still shaking. Roxas could tell the moment the other had realized they were the only students left on campus because he started moving faster.

The reaction was almost enough to make the ten minute wait time worth it. Still, how could anyone be that dense? _This might be easier than I thought._ With a mischievous smirk he followed from behind the anxious pool of energy. It took three minutes this time to be noticed.

"Hey, quit following me!" Sora all but squeaked, looking this way and that. "Dude, what do you want? I apologized."

"Oh? You mean when you mumbled in my direction while staring at the floor before tripping into the waste bucket? Yeah, I remember." He chuckled. "Mind you, most of the class was gone so barely anyone got to see it. For shame if you actually thought it meant something."

Sora didn't stop moving but his voice had changed. It was hard to make out, but Roxas could almost hear the deeper register that breached the surface past the usual high intonation. "Could you back off? I really can't talk right now."

"Fine, I'll just keep following in silence then. No problem." Come on, show me already. Quit hiding. From the back it was possible to see the redness on the boy's neck. He had to be worked up enough to drop the act, surely.

It was making Roxas antsy. He was rather proud of his ability to read people and sway them this way and that. He always won in emotional chess. But he didn't expect Sora to so stubbornly fight back.

If he hadn't designed the special role specifically for Sora himself he would have been jealous. But oddly he wasn't.

Not to say that he was happy with the situation. He had designed the role under the guise that Sora would be playing off of Riku. The teacher had told him of the role he was thinking of for Riku, and the fact that Riku was best friends with Roxas' current target didn't escape him.

For once Roxas thought he would finally get a break this semester. He had wanted a small role. But then Zexion had to back stab him and give him the part. Hence the situation he was in. He hated it with a special passion reserved for things meant to be tortured within an inch of death, but damn if he wasn't going to give his all. Not when recruiters, agents, and directors would witness their final performance.

Hence, his plan to get under his co star's skin and force him to comply. Sora quitting was not an option.

Deep in thought, and pondering what could finally get through to his new rival, Roxas slammed into Sora from behind. Feeling a blush of his own rise up, he quickly stepped back.

Sora still wasn't moving and it was actually starting to freak him out a tad. He laughed again and shoved any signs of submission down where they belonged. "Don't tell me I broke you already, Sora."

All he got was a turn and a look. Sora's expression was mostly blank, and his blush hadn't disappeared completely, but his eyes spoke volumes. There was exhaustion there above all, but there was no mistaking the ominous atmosphere.

Something in his eyes, know his whole frame, was begging for release. Roxas waited patiently for the fist. He recognized the tension in the air, the electricity that came with a challenge. The energy coming off of Sora was something that he had never seen from him.

So imagine Roxas' disappointment when that all was snapped away with the flicker of a changed expression. Something shifted, and the person standing in front of him was now the timid, quivering costar who was supposed to play a role built to be the teen's natural opposite.

_What… just happened?_

Sora interrupted his thoughts with a small, yet defeated, "...what do you want?" His shoulders sagged a little and he hugged himself.

"I want you to take this seriously, Sora. I can tell you're not trying, that much is obvious. So…" He gets closer, jabbing a finger into a shaking chest as he emphasized his next words, "Clearly you're hopeless without my help. I'm following you so I can see where you live. We're going to be practicing a lot together from now, so I figured better to nip this really quick."

"Then… shouldn't you have just asked for my address?" Sora turned as he stated this, walking faster again.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Sure, but would that have annoyed you? Not as much." He tilts his head as the teen groaned in front of him. "Hey, if you want me out of your hair, tell me to go. Force me to leave you alone."

Sora huffed, still walking, "I already tried that. It seems like nothing I say will stop you from getting what you want."

"No, you didn't. You just whined and ran away. Very far from what your character would do. That's part of the problem." Roxas stopped as Sora stopped. He raised an eyebrow. _Huh, will he actually stand his ground now?_

Instead, the other turned to face him, gesturing towards a simple white home to the left of them with an idyllic yard and fence in front to boot. Simple, polite, and boring. A fitting place to describe the skittish actor. "I'm here. This one," Sora said. He swallowed. "Are you saying this was some type of test?"

"Hmmm, yep. And you failed spectacularly." Roxas shrugged, staring at the house more closely. "That's okay though. We'll just have to see how you do tomorrow now, won't we?"

Before there could be any arguments hefted his way, Roxas left. It wasn't quite dark yet, but as it became harder to see Roxas pondered the expression he drew out from Sora not too far back. The exhaustion quickly followed by rage and something else in those vivid blue eyes.

The mask had come up too soon for Roxas to analyze what that expression meant. But it was a start. At any rate, it was closer to the bold knight Sora would be playing over whatever shit he had pulled in class. Just remembering the too quiet delivery and submissive body language rolling off the brunet made Roxas' shudder.

There was a lot of work to be done. His methods were intense and not for the faint of heart. But Roxas was a professional. For as long as he knew he had always wanted to act. Like him or hate him, his social play and emotional manipulation brought results. Everyone who had ever worked opposite with him agreed. From late elementary to now he had not only awed his audience in good plays but had enhanced everyone's acting surrounding him as well.

Sora would see to reason too. Just like all the others. It didn't really matter to him either way how Sora faired by the end of the experience. He just wanted to bring out a good performance.

And for Roxas that's what came first. Outside of that he didn't particularly care much for anyone's feelings or relations after the show was over. Hell, he barely liked people period.

None of it mattered. He could go on pretending as much as he'd like. He had accepted his ability as background puppeteer and nothing more. Because in the end, no would ever make him feel the way he wanted. And Roxas had decided long ago to never dwell on the disappointment people always bring.

As he approached the crowded, towering apartment complex full of people he despised Roxas sat quietly in himself content with the decisions he'd made.

It was a good thing he was so good at pretending.

~~~~method~~~~

_Well, that was a disaster._

First the backpack was funneled in a throw that sent it in a messy heap by the laundry basket. He then proceeded to flop onto his bed and scream his sorrows into a sea of fluff.

In short, Sora was fudged. He didn't know how it was possible but he had somehow turned a veering on intolerable situation into a full fledged nightmare that would please every one of his inner demons.

The creature known as Roxas was now on his ass and from the vague stories and regimens he'd heard from the snippets of his classmates he knew true pain was ahead.

Most of Sora's roles in the class previously had never been large enough to warrant this much attention, but now? As a co-lead?

Sora swung around and in frustration started beating his pillow. He tried imagining Roxas' face over the pillow, but that did nothing to quell his anxiety. No way would the star pupil want to ease Sora into his role. Now he had a bunch of mind games to look forward to.

And then his true nature would slip out. It was almost enough to make him cry. But he swallowed it and let out one last punch. Then he slowly took out a notebook and wrote down a few goals and one single promise.

**_There's only one way to survive this. Remember Riku. Remember the incident. Never show the "monster."_**

He traced the last word slowly, then placed the journal into his drawer and locked it. He had covered it up this long. There was no way anyone, not even Roxas, could pry this secret out.

The games had begun and Sora's mask was on the ready. Unfortunately for him, it was doomed to crack and the pieces that fell would never connect the same way ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: In which Bets are Made and** **Advice is Given (Forced)**

Sora woke up the way he normally did. His eyes would snap open as if he'd been shocked by lightning while his body twitched once. Then the tips of his fingers and toes would buzz with vibration while the rest of his body remained fixed.

Sleep paralysis. Sora grunted, keeping his eyes closed as he worked to wiggle his fingers and toes more. It was the fastest way for him to break out of it, but his body still wouldn't budge. He felt the tell tale presence of something on his chest and he internally squirmed.

_Ugh, I need to get up. _

He swallowed, keeping his eyes closed. He couldn't really tell if he was dreaming or not, but in any case dream or not, he would probably hallucinate something terrible on his chest if he opened his eyes. So he waited, trying to be patient as he got one foot free.

After five minutes he was able to move his whole body but the pressure on his chest persisted. In fact, it was getting worse. _Definitely still dreaming. _

He started struggling just as he felt a soft, warm hand cup his right cheek. "Sora..."

No, no, no. Don't open them don't open them.

He shivered but stayed still as the hand wavered. Very light touches could be felt on his eyelids, his nose, his neck... he even felt the hand roaming through his head, combing fingers through his unruly brown bedhead. It was puzzling, why was he being treated so nice?

Don't open them. He couldn't fall for it. His mind liked to play tricks on him. This was a nightmare and he just had to wait for the right opportunity to force himself out.

But the caressing continued. Sora frowned as he felt fingers roaming his chest. "S-stop it," he breathed out, shivering. "Let me wake up already."

The laughter in response chilled Sora to the bone. The pressure on his chest disappeared for a moment only to spread across his whole body again and a puff of air brushed by his neck. The same warm hand was on his chin, lifting his head up more and Sora shuddered as a spark of pain flashed through him as the one pushing into him bit into his neck.

It wasn't a hard bite but it startled him. He was unable to move again and could only lie there limp as he felt teeth continue to mark up and up in circles, never drifting past his collar bone or chin. This was followed by licking, and then the teeth were back.

The whole left side of his neck was sore, and now that feeling was spreading soon. _D-Did they poison me? _

The person chuckled darkly. "You don't get to wake up. Not unless I say so."

_No freaking way._

His eyes snapped open and there the bastard was. Roxas' eyes sparkled with mischief as he straddled him, and his grin was full of arrogance. His gaze spoke volumes, a penetrating stare that drove straight for the jugular. He lifted his hand methodically, touching Sora's cheek again before dragging his index finger towards Sora's mouth.

He pressed his thumb against Sora's bottom lip. His eyes sparkled again, turning an alluring shade of red as he smirked. "You're mine."

Sora couldn't think. His heart had done a large somersault before hammering inside his chest at a speed so violent he thought it would burst. At this point, Sora couldn't tell if he was dreaming or if Roxas had actually broken in his house to mess with him.

But this... he wouldn't do this, right? "R-Roxas, please, I-"

"Shhhhh," Roxas smiled, holding his hand up, covering Sora's mouth. "Listen."

Sora frowned and was legitimately ready to bite into the hand restraining until he heard it. A shrill ringing bell colliding against his walls. He glanced from left to right (or as much as Roxas let him) but he couldn't see it.

"Over here." Sora flinched as he noticed what the the boy was dangling over him. His phone, wrapped in a small thin coils that wiggled this way and that.

Sora squinted at it and as the blaring grew louder his eyes started to adjust. Roxas looked paler, almost translucent now and despite it being dark there was no missing the thin, angular wings stretching out from his back. He scrutinized the phone that was so loud now Sora thought his ears would start to bleed.

"Roxas" shook his head. "Guess we'll have to continue this another time." He grinned and Sora wasn't surprised by how sharp his canines were. "You have so many friends, aren't you lucky." He then snapped the flip phone open with the spade-shaped tip of his tail and the sound slapped Sora's ears hard enough to bring on a headache.

And then the next second it stopped. When Sora opened his eyes light was shining in his room. He glanced at the clock.11:00 AM.

_Thank god it's Saturday. _

Unlike his nightmare, the room was bright in contrast to his anxious filled bunched up sheets. With a rusty, mechanical push he sat up. His whole body was drenched in sweat and his feet shook.

Was he that afraid of him? Sora couldn't remember the last time his dreams had hit him this hard. Generally, his other... "friend" would show up and torment him, but that was months ago. He had just gotten over all that.

He glanced at his pillow, seeing the edge of his journal as proof. He then glared at his phone which buzzed again, probably aflame with a sea of missed calls and text messages. He took it, sliding it open and groaned.

All of them were from unknown numbers. Though he had heard of the drastic measures Roxas took when it came to his co-stars, he couldn't believe the mayhem was starting this early.

_Come to think of it, he never asked for my number. _

He scrolled through the notices, checking the numbers more closely. It was the same three repeating over and over. Just these. _Maybe they know Roxas and are helping him get to me? But how did they get my number? _

Just as he was pondering which friends had stabbed him in the back the house shook as his doorbell rang. His phone then beeped as a new message popped up.

[This is your last warning. Otherwise, we're barging in. Please respond. ]

"What the?!" He stood a little too fast, tripping over his own feet. The doorbell rang once more and his heart dropped to the soles of his feet. Panicking, he looked around for something, anything, he could use for intimidation.

Of course, with only half his brain working, he neglected to tell his mother not to let the creeps in. He heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by the faint undertones of his mom chattering away with delight.

_Screw it. Guess I'll play it cool. _

He slowly made his way down the stairs, avoiding the creaking steps, looking utterly done with the day.

His mother gave him a knowing grin, looking undeterred by her son's expression. "You didn't tell me you were going to have a big role this time! They're being so nice offering to help you through this."

_Ugh. _"Mom, I don't know them." Actually, that wasn't entirely true. Two of them he recognized from his theater class. But that didn't make much of a difference.

The only girl in the group of three looked shocked. Her chestnut brown hair was styled into two pigtails at the sides of her face. Her bangs framed her green eyes which contrasted well with her orange tank top and khaki slacks.

Olette. It was the only one he could remember, one of the design prodigies the teacher trusted above all else. She usually had a hand in their leads' costumes. But Sora only focused on her now because she looked friendlier than the impatient boys standing next to her.

She pouted. "Sora, you really don't remember? We acted together in the play last semester."

The two boys looked even more miffed and slowly a few more recollections came crashing back. Hayner and Pence.

Hayner was the one with blonde hair slicked back and a small frown that didn't match the intensity in his amber eyes. He mostly helped with stunts and sound effects. Pence was holding a camera, as expected of their top cinematography and assistant editor. His hair was held up by a headband while the rest of it shot up and out in dark brown spirals that always made Sora think of pineapples. It was an... interesting hairstyle choice for sure.

Their roles had been very small, alongside Sora's, since they were more involved in the production side of things. Still, Sora was embarrassed that he had forgotten this over the Summer. "Oh, right... you guys are Roxas' friends."

Hayner rolled his eyes. "And yours too, doofus. You letting us in or what?"

"Sora, don't be rude." His mom playfully shoved her son, laughing as she went into the kitchen, allowing the vultures to fully descend into his space.

Sora glared in her direction before facing the expectant group. The thought of attempting a switch for a different role in this "important" play was rearing its ugly head. But would they really let him after all this?

"Sorry, but you guys kind of freaked me out. Must have lost your numbers when I switched phones." He couldn't hold back his wince after stating this, as he remembered what led to his phone being replaced in the first place.

_The promise. Don't forget. _

He shivered. "So, what brings you all here?"

Hayner turned away, smirking in Olette's direction. "Totally winning the bet."

"The odds are in his favor," Pence mumbled, taking a picture of Sora point blank. It was too fast for him to protest. "He needs a lot of work."

Olette fumed, latching onto one of Sora's arm. "Knock it off, you two. I believe in him. He has what it takes."

Sora opened his mouth but the air wasn't even past his lips before Hayner retorted, "look at him! He looks like he'll faint and Roxas hasn't even confronted him yet."

Sora swallowed. "Actually, he kind of did. I mean, he knows where I live-" the shaking heads he received in response made him feel like he was missing out on a big joke. "w-what?"

Pence just sighs. "You haven't met Roxas. Not really. We'd know if you had." He held up his camera, shifting his position. "Ah, Olette? Could you move? I have to get a profile shot."

_Okay, what is going on?! How can they just- what is my life right now?_

The moment Olette released him Sora aimed his best death glare he could muster at Pence. The flash in response actually hurt his eyes. The idiot had actually stepped closer to get that shot.

"Whoa, nice! Your eyes really popped there."

Sora was beginning to remember why he disliked Pence. His mother's expression from the far corner didn't help. She looked like she wanted to take pictures herself.

After two more flashes Sora raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay! Can we just continue this in my room? And no more pictures!"

Thankfully, they all gave him some much needed space and he led them slowly up the stairs. His mind was buzzing with questions. Namely, what did they mean about him not meeting Roxas? He could still remember the first day he had met the blonde. He had never seen anyone look more pissed in his life.

Sure, he was an enigma of sorts, and despite being in the guy's presence throughout his whole theater experience, Sora could admit that he was probably missing a chunk of what made Roxas... well, Roxas. Outside class he had barely talked to him but if last night was any indication...

The demonic Roxas from his nightmare came barreling into his mind. Sora blushed and rubbed his neck.

_Yeah... I'm not in a hurry to get to know this guy. But what choice do I have? Unless I quit._

"You're not thinking of backing out, are you, Sora?" Pence's voice came crashing into his mind like a knife to the chest. Hayner smirked and Olette looked... disturbed with this idea.

_Shit. _He laughed away the nerves. "Look guys, I love acting as much as the next guy. But this is a big jump. I don't want to disappoint anybody. And, frankly, I would probably just be getting in his way."

"You can't!" Olette shook, placing a hand over her own mouth. "I mean, I-I'm sorry, it's just... everyone is actually interested now. It's always the same people playing the leads."

Pence was messing around with his camera and nodding in agreement, speaking right after her. "Yeah, ever since Zexion announced the roles the school has been buzzing. You wouldn't want to ruin the momentum. Besides, no one ever really switches out of the role their given. Zexion may give the offer, but if you take the easy way out he'll probably fail you. You'd have to be really bad."

"Which you aren't!" Olette chipped in again, eyes shining. "I've seen you in action, Sora. No matter how small your part was you were always genuine. I've asked around and everyone always likes your sections. You already have a good following. This is a perfect opportunity."

Hayner's voice broke in, matter of fact, almost apathetic, but the cold sincerity struck Sora harder than everyone else's excuse. "Roxas would hate you for life. Not joking. He holds grudges, and you don't want that."

"Okay, okay, but if I don't quit they'll switch me out. I'm telling you, I can't play against Roxas. The guy already hates my guts."

_Right?_ It was the only explanation Sora had but at the same time something inside him was nagging that it wasn't this simple. Roxas had never really sought him out or did anything besides a shove here or there. Hate was a strong word, but he knew for sure everything would get worse if he quit.

Maybe he was fated to be constantly hated by him. It would hurt, but not as much as making a fool of himself and playing a role that reminded him too much of the torture over Summer. "Who's to say Roxas and I will interact after all this. It's our final year for us. This play is important, I get that. I don't think I deserve to have this."

"Sora... Roxas doesn't hate you." Olette brought her hand to her chin. "He's just looking at things from a perspective most can't relate to. He's always in the acting mindset."

Hayner laughed, flicking her forehead. "Let's not sugarcoat it. Roxas is obsessed. But that's not the problem. Sora just makes him mad cause he can't unlock him with one look."

Pence shrugged. "It was bound to happen. I don't get it, Sora is pretty simple to get."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Look, I don't know what you're getting at. But if this is all supposed to cheer me up and get me motivated you guys are sucking pretty hard right now."

Hayner grinned. "Might want to be nicer to those that will save your ass."

Olette frowned then said, "what he means is that we're going to help you. We want you to succeed. And... we know about most of Roxas'... ah, quirks. Hopefully we can prepare you for what's coming so that you can work with him properly."

"Usually, we just watch from the sidelines as the actors suffer. But we make exceptions for friends. So we wanted to get to you before Roxas did." Pence placed his camera down. "We don't usually come in this early with just anybody. But In your case, this is too important for you to go in blind. Roxas doesn't know we're doing this, so you'll have to keep it a secret."

Sora glanced at his pillow, then back to them. If it had been last semester he would be a true wreck right now no question.

But after the events of the Summer and what he'd hidden up to now this wouldn't be much of a problem as far as hiding their support. "Yeah, I can do that at least. If this is all to help me guess there's no reason not to try my best." He tried to smile. "Though since you guys have a bet going on part if me feels like you guys don't want things to go completely smooth either."

"Oh, no. Where would the fun be in that?" Hayner grinned back. "I'm expecting you to quit in a month. Three months tops, and that's me being really generous. No offense, Sora, but we've seen the toughest dudes fall short and breakdown after acting with Roxas. We'll offer our help, but don't expect us to catch you if you still fall after that. That's not our job."

His laughs were broken by a quick jab from Olette. She ignored his complaints, addressing Sora with such a look of confidence it was almost infectious. "Well I bet that you'll blow everyone away, including Roxas! You'll be the one that makes or breaks the play, and then afterwards you could maybe get just as big as Roxas and get recruited."

Sora blushed, looking away. He almost didn't want to ask, but Pence had this special grin that Sora had never seen on him. Asking for trouble, he swallowed and let the curiosity overrule him. "Well? What do you think?"

Pence grin grew. He glanced again at the picture he took of Sora. "I think you'll do good, great actually, but it's going to be because you are genuine, like Olette says. Certain things don't come out unless they're the truth. This is a romance after all. So," he held up his camera once more, "I think you'll fall in love with Roxas. That's my bet."

Sora's eyes widened in time with the light from that cursed lens that blinded his eyes. His heart curved in painfully and he pressed his mouth in a thin line, controlling the fear threatening to burst at the seams of his ribs.

_Unbelievable. _

_Stop shaking and get it together. They don't know. _

Hayner guffawed and roared, nearly falling over in his fit of laughter. It was a welcome distraction that gave enough time for the shivering older teen to control his expression while Pence maintained his smug look of certainty. Hayner slapped him in jest. "Your gay ass wishes. That ain't happening. Sora's as straight as they come."

"Actually, I think Pence is onto something. It doesn't matter what Sora is really into in this case. With how far Roxas pushes it's inevitable. He'll feel something." Olette shared a glance with Pence in solidarity. "Let us romantics dream a little."

"Yeah, he'll feel it and then bail."

His heart was calm again and now anger was replacing the dread in his stomach. "Thanks, Hayner. You have no idea how that helps." He tried to sound sarcastic, but it came off more bitter than he wanted. All in all, Sora was about ready to fall asleep and give the day over to the waste bucket.

Still, he hated the stereotype of co-stars falling in love due to their characters. Weren't they supposed to be professionals? Why was he being pegged as the one that would take it so far as to actually get his true feelings involved?

Hayner gave him a thumbs up. "Any time. But hey, if by any chance it does happen, Pence I owe you $150."

Sora's, "it won't," came out at the same time as Pence's, "It will," and the clashing tones was so ridiculous everyone reacted in laughs. Sora himself couldn't stop himself from joining in. It just wasn't as vibrant, and he hoped everyone assumed it was because he was still tired.

Olette giggled before continuing. "Okay, guys. I think we've teased Sora enough." She took out measuring tape and a few notepads, getting out pens and pencils. Her expression was hopeful and the way she gazed at Sora he could tell the business side was taking over as her eyes shined with the variety of costume ideas that could fit his body type. "Let's get to work."

Pence gave Sora a thumbs up. "Also, take off your shirt. Makes it easier for her to measure you."

Somewhere deep inside him was a spark of energy, a light somewhere that he was going to get through this without blowing up his dignity and revealing the secret. After all the talk from Hayner he was at least determined to prove him wrong and be worthy of the role he was given. If he had to be switched out somewhere down the line, so he it. But before that he wanted to show Roxas he was worth his time.

But the anger and fear still butted heads inside him, so he channeled that into his hand and flipped Pence off. He smiled for real this time, his expression childlike and playful as he kept the gesture for the last photo Pence would get out of him that day.

* * *

**_Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It's been a long time since I've written like this. Life got busy what with new work and the minor deppresive stunt before that. But KH3 inspired me and has helped me work through my writer's block. _**

**_Couldn't get this idea fully out of my head, but i hope you all enjoy it. I'm aiming to update this about once a week. Rating is a strong T, but depending on how intense I make it later it might become M further down the line. _**

**_Until next time! _**

**_Justice T. _**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Spiral Planning Encounter**

Generally speaking, Roxas could sense when the spike would happen. The walk back home had been agonizingly slow as his mind pelted him with countless ideas. It worked him up to the point that he could barely feel the sweat building on his forehead or the condensed ache expanding in his empty stomach.

It didn't matter. The moment he took a step into his room he knew a part of him was gone. His thoughts were scattered and his body froze as his heart tried to maintain its marathon in line with the creativity surging in his head.

One look at the calendar over his bed was enough to send him into motion.

It took a few tugs, but eventually his drawer snapped open with the force and he ended up having to get down on his knees to prevent himself from dislodging the row from its place.

He stiffened as the sole of his shoe connected with one of the various line sheets on his floor. He gathered them while simultaneously holding a pack of markers from the drawer then unceremoniously dumped them on the middle of his bed before turning his attention back to the task at hand.

_No, no, I still can't work like this. _But the room overwhelmed him. The pile of notebooks in the left corner, the socks strewn this way and that on top of various pairs of shoes on his right. His closet looked like something had exploded inside it, and the carnage connected seamlessly with various dirty jeans and hoodies forming a makeshift rug before the entry.

He sucked in a breath, then shoved any and every distracting object into the debris of clothes as if he was sweeping away the mess from his mind.

_There. That should do it. _

_Oh shit, actually I need that notebook! _

It shoved his hands through the note book pile, ironically sending them flying back in their previous corner as he flipped through pages, skimming with the determination of a surgeon. His eyes spotted the word _**Sora**_ and he paused.

~~~~~Method~~~~~

Instantly he remembered the day he first met the brunet, how the kid's eyes had widened in shock. It was the second year of the course and he had been helping Zexion judge who would stay in the class based off their audition tapes.

Sora was their third pick to be tested, the only candidate Zexion and him had agreed on. And for the life of him Roxas couldn't figure out why.

The video hadn't been in high quality, and Sora had fumbled through whatever emotions he was trying to portray. But something kept Roxas from pressing the skip button. There was something stormy and unhinged in those blue eyes.

It was just a second, but then that day when Sora stood before him he caught the change. The split second the pupils morphed before anxiety overtook them. Sora clearly recognized him and the nervous energy rolling off him as palpable.

Roxas couldn't control himself. For the first time in his life he had nothing to say, trapped in a magnetic gaze that shouldn't have held this much power with how Sora had cowered back. It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't say anything.

Somewhere, hidden in the tangled nerves, Roxas' mind jumped back to a character, any character he had played. A character who could work past whatever the hell he was feeling so he could function like a normal human being.

He was the judge, he had chosen Sora personally, he should not be feeling weird over this! Embarrassment was not an option!

His mind latched onto the closest thing at hand before the blush fully overtook Roxas' face. He didn't know what facial expression he was making but he opened his mouth and allowed the character to control him. A snarl broke past his lips and he pointed towards Sora's heart. "Give your best or else you're dead."

_Oh my god. _

_Am I really trying to be a psycho? What the hell was that?!_

The blush continued to grow and Roxas really started panicking. He had created a careful image at school, not veering too far in any emotional extreme in order to truly blend into whatever he needed to be in his work.

And now he was about to potentially scare off a new recruit that would actually make the class more interesting. This was the thoughts that rammed into his head uncontrollably and for the first time since entering the school he truly felt like he would die from the intensity of his emotions.

And it was all Sora's fault.

He didn't wait for the reaction, Roxas just went inside the classroom and mentally slammed his head repeatedly into every desk as he worked to control his face. The heat remained. His heart still wasn't over it though, and it continued to remind him with beats that vibrated into the tips of his fingers and toes.

And then the test began. Sora had a look of grim determination on his face and Roxas felt so bewildered that he had to keep his eyes on the notes in front of him.

Zexion gave Sora a nod and spoke the prompt out loud but Roxas didn't hear it. This is probably what added to the test performance because he was completely unprepared when Sora stared directly at him.

Those stormy eyes now looked unfocused, almost hollow. He stood up straighter and Roxas realized he was taller than what he presumed.

Sora then glared and when he spoke it hit him too late. He was stuck now, not only because of the role Sora was playing, but because his heart, no, his whole being recognized the position he was now in. Sora's face twisted as he spoke, voice dark. "What the hell are you looking at, huh?"

Roxas swallowed. He was happy most of his body was still stuck in the mindset of the angry villain he had last played because it allowed him to maintain his stony glare back in Sora's direction.

He hated how popular this prompt was for Zexion to pull out. He was giving it to all the "timid" looking candidates, but the teacher didn't know Sora's eyes were already doing strange things to him.

And now he had to sit here and take the expressions and false rage from those eyes? Actually... the rage looked pretty real. It had to be because the foreboding, almost feral posture, the twitching fingers and gritted teeth... it was as if at any moment the guy would lunge and strangle him.

On anyone else it would look campy. But Sora's whole stance, despite not moving, spoke volumes.

_He has to be channeling that from somewhere. _

_I wonder what happened to get him to this point. What he's using to bring this anger out. Ugh, this is driving me insane!_

_Stay focused!_

But even after repeating this mentally, Roxas still felt like a part of himself was being exposed. He was now starting to regret that only him and Zexion were in the room. All the recruits were too scared to look at Zexion, obviously, so they were all treating Roxas as the surrogate audience.

But Sora wasn't just posturing. The boy was focusing everything on him. Roxas knew he was supposed to be respectful and play along with the prompt, but doing this scenario with someone who was actually good...

He went with going halfway and his voice still trembled more than he wanted it to. "I w-wasn't s-staring."

_But you were earlier and now you're paying for it. It's karma. _

Roxas mentally flipped himself the bird then flinched as Sora started shaking as he spoke. "Are you lying to me?" Somehow, despite how quiet Sora's voice was he made the atmosphere in the room as cold as ice. He started pacing and muttering under his breath. He wasn't exactly stomping, but his footsteps were erratic. Sometimes fast, sometimes just a few to the side, an uneven gate that that oozed chaos, stating simply, _the only reason you're still alive is because I haven't decided what to do to you yet._

The breaks in eye contact gave Roxas enough time to relax and prepare finally. But a strange electric pulse made his pulse tighten. Hunger long since forgotten, his body tensed up, tuning into every glance as he became hyper aware of their positions. He realized, as random as the directions looked on first glance, Sora was actually steadily getting closer to his desk.

_How is he doing this? _

Roxas wanted to laugh this off. He wanted Sora to mess up, badly. But only two emotions bubbled up within his core. One was fear, and the other one was something Roxas couldn't describe.

_No, no, he has to be overdoing it somewhere in this. Focus, try to find the mistakes. _

Sora growled, then he started making kicking motions. "No, no, no, no..." he then spotted a book, grabbed it and threw it to the ground making both Zexion and Roxas jump. Sora then screamed, a guttural roar turning into a screech. He stood there, body wobbling and he chuckled, voice low and back under a calm, soothing blanket that barely hid malicious intent. "You know how much I hate that. I hate liars."

_Fuuuuu_-

Roxas looked away. No one else had put in this much effort in front of them. He wrote a few more notes but his motions were robotic, small gestures, habits ingrained in his body so as not to set Sora off. He felt his shoulders hunching a little in order to make himself as unassuming as possible, and Roxas felt that familiar tingling in his heart, the sensation that occurred whenever he watched his favorite movies, drowning in the stories being delivered by the what was in front of him.

_When was the last time watching someone else act made me feel like this? God, I wish we were recording this. _

But he wanted the exercise to be over. The mixture of fantasy and reality was getting close to blurring the boundaries. He mumbled his response, "I'm not a liar." It wasn't what he had said in reality, but it was close enough.

"... look at me then."

_No._ Roxas frowned. What was wrong with him? He struggled to lift his head but didn't. He felt Zexion shifting beside him. Was the teacher going to end it now? Did he realize how tense the situation was for him? Or did he just mistake Roxas' genuine responses for acting?

Roxas heard the footsteps, direct and purposeful, no longer wandering but headed his way in a line that pierced his chest and he stayed still in obedience, knowing that running generally made things worse. He couldn't hold back the shaking, squirming internally at how close Sora's voice was. "Look at me." Even calmer, more quiet. More deadly.

It was so unpredictable, Roxas had no way of knowing what would happen. Though most of what Sora was doing was improv, each candidate was given the prompts in advance and were supposed to have their performance prepared beforehand. But none of them had had the balls to deviate from the script they were given like this.

Slowly the frustration and anger he felt towards the one standing ominously in front of him slowly dispersed. He was truly in the acting space now. He was just a little kid, cowering and trying not to anger this older, darker presence. He hadn't realized how far he'd slipped, how much his mindset was changing to fit the new set of rules as noted the exits in the room just in case.

Honestly, the only thing keeping him from truly forgetting who was actually standing a foot in front of him was that magnetic pull. The strong desire to just stare for hours and just exist in that field of pupils surrounded by raging waters.

Eventually he decided he was ready to face it and looked up right when Sora, hands raised, slammed down his palms on Roxas' desk. Roxas breath and heart jumped up to his throat and stayed there as he was as his fear fueled the heat rolling off Sora in spades. Their eyes locked and despite the craziness of the situation, he felt grounded somehow and for a brief moment he saw the truth in them.

Not rage but pain, an insurmountable sadness that threatened to snap Sora's frame in two. The brightness came from the water threatening to spill past the lids and onto Sora's cheeks as he screamed. "I said look dammit!"

Because he was sitting Sora really towered over him, and his next words smacked Roxas upside with hot, minty breaths, his voice ragged. "Look me in the eyes and say you're a liar. Now."

Something in Roxas snapped and he got lost in the character. What could he do as a kid in this situation. No... _what did he do as a kid in this situation? _

The desk trapped him, just as if he had been pressed into a corner with no way to escape the inevitable outburst coming his way. Should he just take it again?

No, he was older and stronger. No, he had promised himself he would never be controlled this way ever again.

No.

Roxas swallowed and slapped Sora hard. He felt the satisfaction build in him as Sora reeled back, nearly falling over from the hit. Then Roxas laughed, and even to himself he sounded more childlike as the anger gave him strength. "No."

Sora's head snapped up from his stupor at being hit. He cradled his face near the red handprint and his breaths were ragged, a look of betrayal and shock, but a different kind than what Sora had shown him outside the room. A single tear fell as he frowned, his mouth a thin line, and then he moved his hand down towards his waist, and made the motions as if he were removing a belt.

He wasn't actually wearing one but Roxas still flinched. From the corner of his eyes he could see Zexion hold up a hand, signaling the end of the scene, and the spell was finally broken.

Sora transformed. Slowly, as if he were waking up, his eyes widened and his pitch rose up higher, the anxiety undeniable in his voice. "Oh... Oh! I'm sorry about that." He sheepishly grinned before looking away. He wasn't meeting any of their gazes now. "I should have asked beforehand if I could use props."

Carefully, he picked up the book that had landed by their feet, placing it carefully on the desk, head low in submission and now it was Roxas' turn to wake up.

The fear had given away to awe then confusion. He blinked slowly. _What... was that? _

_God, and why is he acting so scared all of a sudden? Hell after a performance like that..._

_Oh wait. I did just hit him now. Shit. _

His mind filled with ideas and he found that he couldn't speak again. He wanted to apologize but he couldn't and he felt a blush come unbidden again, roasting his neck and cheeks He turned towards Zexion who had a blank expression. But from his pointed gaze and pursed lips Roxas knew that on some level the teacher was impressed.

_So impressed... that he allowed the scene to continue. He hasn't let anyone reach the end of their scenarios. _

Zexion's tone betrayed this as he spoke. "Alright, that's enough. You may be dismissed."

Sora recovered and gave Zexion a single nod, still avoiding looking at Roxas as he ran out of the room. And Roxas was grateful because he was very close to showing his real self.

And no one here was allowed that. He would never let it happen.

Still, the fear and dread from the scene morphed into admiration. He had never been pushed that far by anyone. Or at least, it had been years since the last time he was moved this much due to the other person. But if he looked too excited it would show his bias, so he did his best to bury those emotions down.

This encounter tested the limits of what Roxas wanted to reveal at school. In the end, Sora in that moment helped him develop the perfect method to control his emotions and enhance his acting.

But there was always a little anger, some frustration, when interacting with Sora because the moment he entered the class officially he never felt that level of intensity from him again.

The grim determination, acting that actually brought him into the headspace of his character versus the other way around. Roxas flipped through more of his notes of Sora as his memory returned.

He honestly felt like Sora had forgotten that audition. He had almost forgotten it himself until he received that special look from Sora before he was shut out as he forced Sora to show him the latter' house. Something must have happened to close his co-star off, or maybe the gravity of the test performance had been a fluke?

No, it wasn't possible. The performance had been _too _real.

Nevertheless, he was surprised when Zexion kept giving Sora such small roles, and he felt weird caring so much about it all.

This care, mind you, wasn't for Sora as a person. Sora the person intimidated Roxas. His eyes were such a deep blue that Roxas felt lost every time he looked at him. The boy could just not be read, Roxas had convinced himself that the brunet was the biggest rival to his methods of observation and character analysis. He was the basis against how Roxas cultivated his persona at school, and yet he still couldn't react the way he wanted to in front of Sora.

It unnerved him to no end. And watching his acting didn't help. Sora's roles were too small to properly analyze and compare to how he carried himself. Which is why Roxas was extremely ecstatic to design Sora's role here, to see something that could remind him of that first day which felt more like a dream now.

But lo and behold, Zexion had placed Roxas in the role of the prince that fell in love with Sora's knight. It almost felt like a betrayal and worked against the dynamic Roxas had planned out in the portions of the play he was given to write.

Though Roxas normally played rough, brutal roles it didn't mean he couldn't do the opposite. But it made his job a lot harder to analyze Sora if he had to play off him. If he lost himself too far in his performance he would miss the shift in Sora, and then he would forever be confused about him.

Not to mention this was a romance. Roxas had a special way of dealing with this, but having to manage and prepare himself while prepping the inexperienced Sora for this role wouldn't be an easy task.

Though he craved it, he wasn't sure if they could go as far as whatever had happened during that test performance. He wasn't completely in control of that, and Sora back then was just...

He started writing furiously in his notebook, muttering the cons to himself off the bat. He spent hours this way, sitting in the same spot, scribbling every point of attack and counter plan.

He didn't hear his door open or the footsteps. If he had he would have stopped what he was doing immediately to attend to the almost frail look alike above him. "Roxas?"

Small, almost a whisper, but it was a voice that usually Roxas would never ignore. But he was far too engrossed and his mind raced as he just kept writing.

_Something is off. I should move. _

But he didn't. He ignored the signs, writing until he physically couldn't, right hand throbbing. The presence was long gone but, unfortunately for him, his lack of response would alter the course of his week leading him astray towards a violent encounter.

But for now he collapsed in the same spot, exhaustion finally taking him over. When he woke up it was 4 AM on a Saturday and right next to his face was a small white bottle with various descriptions wrapped around its form. Tacked on it was a small sticky note with the word _**Ventus **_on it.

Roxas slowly reached for the bottle, sighing.

_Guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow before I can really dig into him. _

He sat up, unscrewing the lid, knowing somewhere deep down that he had made a big mistake. But for now he smiled while thinking of the future in anticipation of revealing the true Sora. Especially after the memories that had surfaced the night before, he knew he would never let the chance slip away from him again.


End file.
